The Rev. Jesse Jackson appeared on Fox News and said that semi-automatic firearms can be used to shoot down airplanes and are a matter of national security.

"These semi-automatic weapons- these assault weapons- can only kill people. And in fact, they're threats of national security. I would now (unintelligible) the young man who did the killing in Aurora, CO with the arsenal that he had. He was right near the airport, right near the runways of the airport in Denver. He could shoot down airplanes so this is a matter of Homeland Security as well," Jackson said.